ORLEANS, France (AFP) - Former world number one Amelie Mauresmo was furious with Flavia Pennetta after her Italian rival appeared to insult the umpire along the way to a Fed Cup opening-day success on Saturday.

Pennetta won a knife-edge encounter 2-6, 7-6 (9/7), 6-4 in Orleans, northern France, to give the visitors a 1-0 lead in their Fed Cup World Group One tie.

But Mauresmo said she felt Pennetta should have been kicked out after appearing to insult the chair after a shot she thought was good was ruled out in the crucial second set tiebreak.

"At that moment, I didn't really see and cotton on," said Mauresmo, who indicated that when she did look up Pennetta appeared to have mouthed an insult at the chair, flicking her middle finger for good measure.

"She gave the finger - she should have been removed right away," insisted former Wimbledon and Australian Open champion Mauresmo.

The point gave the Frenchwoman a match point but in the hullabaloo she served up a double fault and then slumped to defeat.

Pennetta, who did receive a warning for her conduct, said she was sorry afterwards.

"I am not pleased with myself but that's the first time such a thing has happened to me - it was a gruelling match from the start and I lost control as I really thought the ball was in," said the Italian.

French skipper Nicolas Escude was angry that the Italian was not handed a stiffer penalty.

"It's amazing. When (former French footballer Zinedine) Zidane loses it he gets sent off. Great, everything's possible. Magnificent, you can do as you like," Escude said in allusion to Pennetta.

Alize Cornet was hoping to level the tie by beating Francesca Schiavone later Saturday before Cornet meets Pennetta on Sunday and Mauresmo takes on Schaivone while Severine Bremond and Nathalie Dechy go up against Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci in the doubles.